From Then To Forever
by Maiden of Illusions
Summary: One-shots written for the LJ lover100 prompts challenge. Senshi/Shitennou pairings. Ratings and genre will vary.
1. A Pleasant Surprise

**Prompt**: #79. Surprise  
**Betas**: None. You have been warned.**  
Disclaimer**: I don't own these characters, nor am I making any money from them. I merely borrow them from time to time.  
**Rating**: G  
**Notes**: Cross-posted on my LJ  
**Summary**: One day, Ami receives a surprise in her locker.

* * *

**A Pleasant Surprise**

A surprised squeak left her lips before she could stop herself, attracting the gazes of the people walking past her. The attention she was receiving would've caused a furious blush to taint her pale cheeks, if Ami Mizuno weren't staring at the object in her locker like it was about to jump out and gobble her up any minute.

The seconds ticked by, and finally, her brain rebooted itself. She promptly threw the door of the locker shut before she turned her back towards it, pants leaving her lips like she had just been chased after by stranded dogs.

"Ami-chan …" Makoto called out, placing a hand on Ami's shoulder and a look of concern on her face. "Are you alright?"

"Th-the-there's some-something in-in my locker," Ami stammered, her heart still pounding painfully against her chest.

The look of concern on Makoto's face immediately turned fierce, her protective nature emerging as it always did whenever her friends were in trouble. Quickly, she maneuvered Ami so that the shorter girl was standing behind her. A determined look settled over her features as she bravely grabbed the handle of the locker and yanked the door open.

A moment of silence followed as Ami stood back to back against Makoto, her breathing still not completely back to normal.

Makoto, on the other hand, had confusion written all over her face as she stared at the thing that had scared Ami. Finally, she blinked. She blinked a couple of more times, as if she were trying to make sure that this was the object that had threatened one of her best friends (a Sailor Senshi, mind you) to the point of hyperventilation.

"Ami-chan …" Makoto opened her mouth hesitantly. "Is—"

"No."

"Is that—"

"Please don't say it," came the whispered whimper.

"Is that a love letter?"

As if on cue, Ami let out a little cry as red spots promptly announced their arrival all over her skin.

~-0-~

Some people would say that Ami Mizuno was anti-social. However, she didn't agree. It wasn't like she didn't want to make friends and have fun. She just didn't find anything wrong with placing schoolwork ahead of dating. Well, especially when many of such social minglings ended up with individuals either shooting her weird looks as if they had no idea what she was talking about or coming up with some flimsy excuse to take their leave on her. Her mother had reassured her that it was because they had been intimidated by her intelligence, something she didn't really believe as a child. She still didn't quite believe that as she got older.

She would tell anyone who told her that nowadays to take a look at Zephan Goto. Granted, he probably wasn't nearly as shy as she when it came down to speaking to new people—scratch that, he was downright brilliant when it came down to charming the people he wanted to—but really, he was just as smart as she was.

To the point that she was almost tempted to walk up to him and ask if he somehow knew how to predict the future the same way her boyfriend, Ryo Urawa did.

That, however, was not really an option, and it was not just because she had a hard time striking up a conversation with stranger. No, it was because he was male. And quite a handsome one, too—a fact that she would never, ever admit to anyone.

Therefore, it came as a surprise to everyone (who were not her fellow Senshi) when she officially started dating Ryo. Even her own mother had a look of surprise on her face for a split second before she quickly covered it up with an indulgent smile.

Minako had insisted that it wasn't true dating, not with the way they handled their relationship. True, the number of times they had physical contact with one another—sans the couple of moments when she had to save him from one youma or another—was pitiful, to say the least, but that was to be expected when he was so constantly moving around and only traveled to Juuban once in a blue moon.

Nonetheless, that suited Ami quite well. The frivolous things that couples did were fine once in a while, but she really didn't have time to do it all the time. She had other things that were much more important to do.

Another thing that endeared Ami to Ryo was the fact that she wasn't allergic to his letters … despite what the other girls thought.

Minako somehow managed to land her eyes on Ryo's letter while they were relaxing at the Crown one day and grabbed it before Ami could even say "no." However, after reading the letter, the girls had differing looks of dissatisfaction on their faces, and they mutually agreed that it was no love letter.

"He didn't even say he loved you," Usagi had whined with a grimace.

Ami had no argument for them; all she could say was that this was for the better. After all, it wouldn't actually be fun if she got a rash every time her boyfriend wrote a love letter to her, right?

Secretly, however, she acknowledged that it was a pity. Just like most other young girls, she had once dreamt of having a secret admirer who would turn out to be a charming prince. He would have the most elegant handwriting and the most prince-like eloquence, and he would sweep her off her feet with just a single letter, containing his declaration of love for her.

Of course, that dream was officially dashed after the first time she'd gotten a love letter.

Well, she did get over it, or at least, she convinced herself that she'd gotten over it, and Ryo was such a sweet person. She shouldn't be ungrateful and wished for something more.

And maybe one day, she could convince herself that she didn't mind it at all.

~-0-~

A gasp escaped her lips the moment she opened her locker and had a clear look of what was inside. At least, this time, the sound she'd made was much more subtle and no longer made her into a spectacle. However, her mind wasn't on that at the moment.

It was busy analyzing why, just why wasn't she having another panic attack. Usually, in situations like this, she would be recalling where the nearest trashcan was and if it were close enough for her to throw the offending item away before she started itching again.

Now, however ...

Her eyes raked over the neat handwriting printed delicately on the envelope that was sitting innocently inside her locker, and still, she didn't even feel a tendril of fear towards this particular love letter. Her abnormal reaction towards it ignited her curiosity.

Perhaps she was wrong, and this wasn't a love letter at all.

So, she tentatively reached out and poked the letter with a single, slightly shaking finger before shrinking it back immediately.

No reactions. Not yet, at least.

Squaring her shoulders, she swallowed her fear and inched her hand slowly towards the envelope—almost there—just another one or two centimeters—

Squeezing her eyes shut, she allowed her fingers to wrap themselves around the edge of the letter. She mentally counted to five, and when no signs of itching appeared on her body, she gradually opened her eyes.

She let out the breath she didn't even know she had been holding, though she had no idea if it was out of relief or something else. Brushing that question to the side for the time being, she gazed at the envelope. If it weren't for the lack of her surname on the letter, she would've thought that it was simply a notice from the school.

But she knew, deep inside, that it wasn't a letter from the school. Somehow, the handwriting on the envelope seemed … familiar to her, though she couldn't put a face to it.

Shaking her head, she deftly opened the letter and unfolded the paper inside. She was first surprised by the faint scent it gave off … was it flowers?

As her eyes took in the content of the letter, a faint blush appeared on her face as the smile on her face grew bigger. The logical side of her mind protested, pointing out that she shouldn't feel happy about a love letter; after all, she already had a boyfriend. However, for once, she actually didn't want to listen to logic as the words on the paper strummed a lovely melody inside her heart.

People continued walking past her as she stood there with what she imagined was a rather goofy smile on her face. However, she couldn't care less as she reread the letter a couple of more times.

When she finally folded up the paper—carefully along the same lines that the originator had creased it at—her eyes twinkled with a pleased glint. She didn't get a rash.

~-0-~

"Ami-chan," Minako chanted in a sing-song voice.

"Mm?" she answered absent-mindedly, a secretive smile still lingering on her face.

They were sitting on the floor around a single table at the Hikawa Shrine. Usagi and Rei sat across the table from Ami, arguing again about Usagi reading one of Rei's mangas without the latter's permission. Makoto sat to Ami's right and Minako to her left.

"I smell love in the air," Minako sang.

Makoto promptly tuned into their conversation when she heard what Minako said.

"Oh?" Ami replied, a faint tinge coloring her cheeks.

"Mm-hm. The aura is alllllll around you," Minako said as she leaned forward with a sly smile on her face. "I _**am **_the Senshi of Love after all."

"True as that might be, Minako-chan, I'm pretty sure that that status doesn't actually allow you to automatically detect love when you haven't completely reached your ultimate potential yet," Ami said. She tilted her head to one side and glanced at her friend with a teasing smile.

The blonde pouted as Rei and Usagi's argument turned into a physical one, but the three girls were hardly worried, since they knew that those two would never hurt one another beyond repair.

"You're not changing the subject on me, Ami-chan. Now spill. What happened today?" Minako asked.

Ami pushed a lock of hair behind her ear as the blush on her cheeks turned a shade darker. "Nothing …"

"Did you get a love letter from Ryo-kun?" Minako pressed on, not deterred in the least by a bit of denial.

"No." This time, Ami answered without hesitation, something that Minako picked up immediately.

"Is it a love letter from someone else?" she asked. Her voice was a pitch higher due to her excitement over the subject.

"It can't be, Minako-chan. Ami's allergic to love letters," Makoto pointed out.

Minako paused in stunned silence for a couple of seconds. "Oh … right …"

Ami nodded. "That's right. I'm allergic to love letters. So I can't possibly get a love letter without getting a rash, right?"

A frown appeared on Minako's forehead as she contemplated the situation. And she was so sure that _**something**_ pertaining to love must've happened to Ami … what else could it be then, if it wasn't a love letter?

Ami lowered her eyes and pretended to concentrate on the textbook in front of her as Minako racked her brains for other possibilities. Ami couldn't help but feel grateful towards Makoto for saving her and feel apologetic towards Minako for lying to her. The latter had no idea how close she was to the truth. However, for some reason, Ami didn't want to share this with the others. She didn't want to share the love letter with her friends yet.

Maybe someday she would, someday in the future. But for now, she wanted it to be her little secret.

The smile on her face deepened, thankful that she had remembered to hide the love letter safely out of sight today. Then, she tilted her head up and chided Rei and Usagi for fighting when they should be concentrating on their studies.

~-0-~

Zephan Goto nibbled on his lower lip, twirling a lock of his strawberry-blond hair around his forefinger. He had been sitting in his room for nearly an hour already, waiting for the perfect words to come. He didn't want this to be a repeat of the first one; he wanted it to be different. Thankfully, he was a patient man, so he continued to wait.

Finally, twenty minutes later, inspiration struck. His face lightened up as he brought his pen down to the faintly scented paper and allowed the words to flow, the face of that very special woman in his mind's eye.

~-0-~

**A/N**: So … though I've actually been a Sailor Moon fan for *checks calendar* a proud eighteen years and a SenShi fan for I-already-lost-count years, this is the first fanfiction I've written for it. Yes, shame on me, but I defend myself by saying inspiration strikes at the weirdest times.

To be honest, I really, really don't know if the plot in this fic had been used before; I tried Google searching it but came up with nothing, so I assume it's safe sailing. If there were any similarities, it's purely coincidental. Hopefully, I've managed to keep the characters fairly in-character. I mix and match details from the manga and the anime, so hopefully, it wasn't too cringe-worthy of a read. :)

And sorry if there are things that aren't canonical correct. It's been a while since I've watched the anime and an even longer time since I've reread the manga. Again, yes, shame on me *is embarrassed*, but feel free to point things out if they're wrong and I'll try my best to change them. :) I've never actually lived in Japan before, so things might not be correct in that aspect, but I tried. Google can only help me with that much.

As you've noticed, I've went along with the common practice of using a name starting with the same letter of the Generals' mineral names. I figure it would be easier for me, as well as readers, to keep track of who's who.

"Zephan" is of Celtic origin and means "Irish saint", which is why I've chosen this name for Zoisite, and I chose Goto because I, like many others, enjoy the idea of the Shitennou being compared to the four symbols of the Chinese constellations. So, with Zoisite corresponding to the Black Tortoise, Genbu, I took the first letter of that name and randomly chose a Japanese last name starting with G.

Different AUs will naturally have different names for the Generals, for the sake of my sanity. :)

In regards to why Zoisite has an Celtic name and a Japanese last name … eh, anything is possible. I might address this in future fics taking place in the same universe as this story, or I might not, depending on the muse. :D

Hope you've all enjoyed reading this. :)


	2. Revelation

**Prompt**: #82. Ghosts  
**Betas**: None. You have been warned.**  
Disclaimer**: I don't own these characters, nor am I making any money from them. I merely borrow them from time to time.  
**Rating**: G  
**Notes**: Cross-posted on my LJ  
**Summary**: She didn't trust him for many different reasons, and any one of them was enough for her to want him out of her temple. Different universe from the one in "A Pleasant Surprise."  
**Warning(s)**: Again, I take information from both the manga and the anime.

* * *

**Revelation**

She watched as he talked with one of the female high school students, a professional yet charming smile on his face.

For a moment, a similar image entered her mind, and her hands tightened around the broomstick just a smidgen tighter before she remembered that that memory belonged in the past, not the present and hopefully not the future.

_Because he is Mamoru-san's guardian_, she told herself.

She knew quite well that he had been brainwashed during the Dark Kingdom days. Even if she hadn't known, Mamoru's constant emphasis of that fact would've hammered it into her mind. However, it wasn't easy to mentally disconnect the present from the past. It didn't matter how many times Usagi told them that the four young men had been Mamoru's guards during the Silver Millenium because the Senshi only had snippets of blurry images when it came to their past lives. The clearest picture they had were their deaths, which didn't exactly work in favor of the generals.

Therefore, it wasn't much of a surprise that the girls could only remember the Shitennou as evil lackeys of Beryl who'd tried to kill them on multiple occasions. Not to mention one of them had tried to wreak havoc on the holy grounds of Hikawa Shrine.

That was also the reason why Mamoru had insisted that Jadeite started volunteering at the shrine. Despite Rei's protests, the blond General still arrived at the steps of Hikawa Shrine that night. Grandpa had, unfortunately, been overjoyed to see him—Rei had no doubt that it was because of the numerous visitors, both male and female, that Jadeite brought in.

She had come to find that it wasn't simply because Jadeite was a good-looking man (though he certainly wasn't lacking in the looks department, a thought Rei would rather die than to let anyone know). There were certain qualities in him that allowed him to charm people when he wanted to—extra emphasis on the "when."

There were times when Rei wanted to bash him in over the head, and she probably would've done so if she hadn't been sure that Mamoru would've burst out in tears upon hearing the news that one of his Generals had been burned to crisps by the Martian Senshi.

Well, he probably wouldn't have _**cried**_ per se, but she was sure he would've been devastated to lose one of his best friends so soon after they'd returned to him, un-brainwashed and all.

Usagi, for one, had continually urged for her guardians to build a strong relationship with Mamoru's guards.

"They're going to be around for a while and we're going to build Crystal Tokyo together and they're Mamoru's friends and he's never had friends—well, male friends, that is—and they're really, really nice, I promise. So can't you all just try to give them a chance? If they do something evil—and I know for sure that they won't since I've already tripled cleansed them with the Silver Crystal—you can blast them all the way to Nemesis and they can spend the rest of their lives listening to Esmeraude's laughter," the future Queen had nearly begged.

There was something about the way Usagi's eyes glinted while they discussed this issue that made Rei immensely suspicious and she, of course, pointed it out.

"HAHAHAHA! I have absolutely no idea what you're talking about," Usagi had proclaimed with a rather exaggerated laugh.

If anything, it made the Senshi even more wary. Rei had been this close to using Akuryou Taisan, to make sure Usagi hadn't been possessed but had been stopped by Ami, who'd already ran a full scan on their princess with her mini computer.

After much persuasion from both Usagi and Mamoru, the Senshi finally made a reluctant truce with the Shitennou. A truce that had nearly been broken several times already within a span of four months. Haruka had even considered running the Shitennou over with her car one day "by accident" just to get the men out of the Senshi's hair. Though Michiru was fairly amused by this idea, she didn't want her lover getting thrown in jail, so she promptly forbade Haruka from going through with her plan.

Zoisite had taken up the particular hobby of harassing Ami just to see her flustered. Though the other Senshi knew that Ami could be more than a handful when you seriously pissed her off, it still annoyed them to no ends that the strawberry blond found it appropriate to bother the Mercurian Senshi whenever he got the chance to.

Kunzite and Minako were ingredients to another can of worms altogether. The general was courteous enough to all of them. However, Minako's reactions altered drastically with every single meetings, sometimes sunny, sometimes brooding, and other times downright murderous, and it was clear to Rei that her mood swings had something to do with the white-haired general. After all, he was always the receiving end of extra bright smiles or glares and clenched fists.

Nephrite was perhaps the only one who had had semi-warm interactions with the Senshi. Makoto had been particularly friendly with him until two months ago. The normally straightforward woman hadn't told any of them about what had happened. Nevertheless, she had since then made it a point to sit as far as she could away from Nephrite whenever they got together while he made what Minako called "moon eyes" at her.

The General that worried Rei the most, however, was the one currently volunteering at her shrine. No, Jadeite didn't harass her as Zoisite did to Ami, but there was just too many things about him that bothered him. On the very top of the list was that mocking glint in his eyes whenever he spoke to one of the Senshi, as if he had reserved it specifically for them. After all, it never happened when he talked to Mamoru or Usagi.

It only irritated Rei all the more that the blond General and Yuuichirou absolutely hated one another. She could barely go through a single day without yelling at the two of them. The fact that she hadn't thrown _**both**_ of them, let alone one of them, out was in and of itself a major accomplishment; she expected Mamoru and Usagi to give her some form of recognition for that feat once the two of them became King and Queen.

So immersed was she in her thoughts that she didn't notice until said General was standing right next to her.

"Mars—" Jadeite began to say.

"It's Hino Rei," she said through gritted teeth, looking around quickly to check if anyone had overheard him.

His lips slanted upwards into a mocking half-smile, and he repeated after her, "Rei."

Strangely, the lack of any suffixes, let alone an appropriate one, to her name caused a furious blush to blossom over her cheeks.

"Hino-san would be just fine," she snapped, more out of disorientation than anything else.

The smile on his face widened, and he said, as if he were compromising with her, "Rei-chan."

To Rei, it wasn't much of an improvement, but she relented, deciding that it was much too petty and meaningless.

"What do you want?" she asked tiresomely.

"The others will be here soon."

Rei looked up in surprise. She hadn't even noticed that it was nearly time for their Senshi-Shitennou meeting.

Recomposing herself, she shook her head. "Okay." She paused shortly. "Just … continue catering the customers until Usagi and the others arrive."

He nodded in acknowledgement. "Do you want me to bring the tea into your room or would rather do so yourself?"

Her eyes snapped to his. He didn't look away, almost as if he were challenging her.

She knew it was a bit silly for her to continue insisting that she made the tea whenever the other Senshi arrived, since if he'd wanted to poison them, he had plenty of opportunities to do so. Additionally, Ami had calmly pointed out that if they wanted to be worried about someone slipping rat poison into their food and drinks, they should watch out for Zoisite instead; Jadeite would've been more likely to run them down with a truck instead.

"Or an airplane," Makoto had mused out loud, recalling what Rei, Ami, and Usagi had told them.

That, unsurprisingly, made Haruka snort loudly into her drink.

Nonetheless, Rei still held onto the faux sense of security that came with preparing their own food and drinks.

"I'll take care of the tea," she said.

They continued staring at one another for a short while. Therefore, the emotions he went through hardly escaped Rei's notice.

Her temper flared when she recognized disgust and anger in his eyes. How dare he have _**those**_ kind of feelings when he was the one who'd betrayed his liege and killed the civilians of the land he'd sworn to protect? Brainwashed was hardly a good enough reason.

Before she had the chance to give him a piece of her mind, he spoke.

"Okay."

He turned around and returned his post, not bothering to wait for her to say anything else. Rei stared at his retreating back, and it was only when he was helping one of the patrons when she realized that the disgust and anger might not be directed towards her at all.

A lump formed in her throat, making it nearly too difficult to breathe.

_It's just an act. He's trying to get your pity so that you'll accept him back into the group. _

But she knew that he didn't need her acceptance. Regardless of what the Senshi thought, Mamoru and Usagi would always make the final verdict.

Closing her eyes, she turned her back towards him and headed towards the kitchen. Different words of comfort formed in her mind but never left her lips, and she knew that it was impossible for her to say them to Jadeite. Not so soon. Not when they were all haunted by nightmares of youmas and plots for stealing energy.

There would come a time when she—and maybe all of them—would let go of the ghosts from the past. But for now, she could only swallow the guilt and pretend to ignore the feelings that he was going through.

~-0-~

**A/N**: Thanks to those of you who've read, faved, and added to alert. Hope I've kept the characters fairly in character.


	3. The Scorn of Men

**Prompt**: #37. Anger  
**Betas**: None. You have been warned.**  
Disclaimer**: I don't own these characters, nor am I making any money from them. I merely borrow them from time to time.  
**Rating**: G  
**Notes**: Cross-posted on my LJ  
**Summary**: For the very first time, Nephrite disliked Kunzite. Different AU from "A Pleasant Surprise", could be in the same universe as "Revelation".  
**Warning(s)**: Again, I take information from both the manga and the anime.

* * *

**The Scorn of Men**

For the very first time, Nephrite disliked Kunzite.

Well, he didn't really like him all that much while they were under Beryl's spell, but that didn't count. They were brainwashed after all. Beyond that, Nephrite only had images about their previous lives, painted into his mind by the descriptions Mamoru and Usagi had given them. He'd accepted this without evidence or questions; it was as if he were drawn towards Mamoru by instinct, and he knew, without a doubt, that he would lay his life down to protect his Prince.

He got along fairly well with Usagi and her Inner Senshi. Although he could tell that they were still a bit wary about their loyalties—and he grudgingly agreed that they had good reasons to be—they had been rather nice towards the Shitennou.

In regards to the Outer Senshi, he would say that he liked Hotaru the best. She was quite a gentle and adorable girl, and Nephrite never would've guessed that she had the power to destroy an entire planet if Ami hadn't mentioned it. He'd made a point to never piss off the Senshi of Saturn if he could help it.

Setsuna was a nice woman, if not a bit too mysterious and vague for Nephrite's taste. Michiru would exchange small smiles with him whenever they saw one another, so he reckoned that he was on somewhat friendly terms with her, too, but Haruka …

That woman scared the shit out of him.

But that was also fine. Nephrite was under the impression that Haruka scared the shit out of Kunzite, too, though the silver-haired general wouldn't admit it. Jadeite and Zoisite, on the other hand, offered their opinions without the need of prompts; transformed or not, they did _**not**_ want to cross the Uranian Senshi. So, being scared of Haruka was okay for Nephrite.

However, currently, there was something that was _**not**_ okay, though Nephrite couldn't pinpoint the reason why. The only clue that signaled him that something was off was the fact that he wouldn't mind it very much if the sword in Kunzite's hand suddenly dropped and maimed his leader.

"Sugoi!" Makoto breathed out as Kunzite neatly swiped the sword out of Jadeite's hand.

The scowl on Nephrite's face deepened, and it was mirrored on Jadeite's face when Rei clapped on the sidelines, her face slightly flushed.

"Kunzite-san," Minako sang out as she waltzed over to him with a towel in hand.

Kunzite received the proffered towel with a smile of gratitude. The two leaders eyes met, and their smiles minutely deepened.

"Did you need the practice room?" he asked Venus, his voice more tender than what Nephrite was accustomed to.

The pretty blonde shook her head, a beam on her face.

"Mamoru-san mentioned that the four of you were practicing today, so we were wondering if you will allow us to watch on the side," she said, glancing up at him pleadingly and grasping her hands in front of her as if in a prayer.

A barely noticeable smile tugged at the corners of Kunzite's lips. "Of course."

Usagi clapped her hands together in glee. "I can't wait! Mamo-chan told me that your skills in hand-to-hand combat is amazing."

"Mamoru-sama is exaggerating, Usagi-sama. Compared to Ura—Haruka-san, I can hardly claim to be talented," Kunzite answered demurely.

"Aww, you're just being modest," Usagi protested.

"Don't tell anyone I told you," Makoto said conspiratorially, leaning forwards toward Kunzite, "but Haruka-san did mention that you are pretty good."

Suddenly, Nephrite felt the urge to stand up and challenge Kunzite, just to prove that there wasn't just one man in the room who could do hand-to-hand combat well.

"If you keep clutching your fist so tightly, I'm afraid that you might need some help from Mamoru-sama to fix that hand of yours," Zoisite said to Nephrite, his voice low enough so that only the two of them could hear. The smirk on his face had just enough smugness in it to annoy people.

And Nephrite was pretty damned intent on wiping it off.

"Being spiteful because your boyfriend is falling head over heels over the Senshi of Venus?" he sneered.

The smirk immediately fell from Zoisite's face, and he crossed his arms over his chest. "That is none of your business."

"Pardon me, was Minako-san the reason why Kunzite dumped you?" Nephrite added viciously.

"Shut up, Nephrite, and damn you all the way to the depths of the Dark Kingdom. Keep your nose out of Kunzite-sama and my business," Zoisite hissed as he looked at Nephrite through narrowed eyes. He opened his mouth, no doubt about to continue his tirade, when they heard a soft, gentle voice speak up.

"Kunzite-san, would you mind letting me run some tests on you while you continue sparring with Jadeite-kun?" Ami asked.

Zoisite's head immediately snapped towards Kunzite and Ami's general direction.

A silvery-white eyebrow rose in surprise, but Kunzite nodded. "What do I need to do?"

"Hm … I'll need to place these patches on you. All they do is transmit signals directly into my computer," Ami replied, showing him the small white patches in her hand.

"Where do I need to put them?" Kunzite asked.

"I'll place three of them over your heart, three of them—oh!" Ami suddenly stopped in her words, and a furious blush blossomed on her cheeks as her eyes widened, for Kunzite had already unbuttoned his shirt and shrugged it off.

The other four Senshi were gifting him with appreciative glances. A soft giggle escaped Minako's lips, and Rei promptly elbowed her in the ribs, though the Martian Senshi seemed to be having a hard time in fighting back a grin.

Ami moved a bit closer to Kunzite, the redness not completely gone from her face yet, and her lithe fingers started applying the patches on to different areas of his body. Minako and Makoto exchanged suggestive glances, and suddenly, they giggled, causing the blush to flare back to life on Ami's cheeks.

"It seems like you'll be the one who'll be needing Mamoru-sama's help if you keep clutching your fists like that," Nephrite drawled to Zoisite.

For the first time, Zoisite didn't answer him. The strawberry blonde was staring so intently at Ami and Kunzite that Nephrite would've been rather worried for Ami's health if he hadn't been mentally throttling his leader.

"There," Ami announced. She glanced upwards towards Kunzite and quickly lowered her eyes to look at her shoes again as she muttered, "Thanks."

"You're welcome," Kunzite answered.

The match went by in a blur with the girls cheering rather enthusiastically for Kunzite. A couple of encouragements were given to Jadeite, too, but it seemed like they were doing it more out of pity than anything else.

_Damned practice session._

And Nephrite was pretty sure that he wasn't the only person with that thought in mind.

~-0-~

On any other occasions, Nephrite would've been worried about being late, especially when it was for a practice session. After all, lectures from Kunzite were never fun to begin with, not to mention the punishments that might follow. However, Nephrite really didn't want to go today. He'd thought that his ire towards Kunzite would've gone away after a night's sleep, but unfortunately, it didn't.

Somehow, he still managed to get ready and reach the practice room.

"Good morning," Zoisite chirped, perched on top of one of the chairs lined up against the wall.

He appeared so pleased that momentarily, Nephrite wondered if something had happened to Ami.

"Good morning," he answered carefully.

He looked around and nodded in greetings to Jadeite, who was sitting on the far end away from Zoisite.

"What's up with him?" Nephrite asked in a low voice when he reached Jadeite's side.

"Who knows?" Jadeite answered. "Perhaps he's made up with Kunzite."

"Speaking of Kunzite, where is he? He's usually the earliest one here," Nephrite said.

"No idea," Jadeite said with a shrug. He sulkily added, "Maybe he's out with the Senshi, giving them some pointers on how to spar correctly."

The idea of Kunzite sparring with the Senshi placed a scowl on Nephrite's face, and inexplicably, the Senshi in his mind would always take on luscious auburn hair and pretty green eyes.

At the other side of the practice room, Zoisite was still happily humming to himself and drinking his coffee.

"Zoisite, did Kunzite tell you if he's coming in today?" Nephrite asked.

"No idea," was the answer, in a sing-song voice.

"Ugh, he's too happy," Jadeite muttered, clutching his head with one hand.

Suddenly, the tune of Moonlight Densetsu filled the room, and both Nephrite and Jadeite snapped their heads up. Zoisite raised an eyebrow in reply to their stares and languorously pulled out his cell phone. With a simple flick of his finger, the tune stopped and Zoisite placed the phone to his ear.

"Moshi moshi, Mamoru-sama," Zoisite greeted.

A short conversation followed afterwards, and when Zoisite looked up, both Nephrite and Jadeite were looking at him.

"Well?" Nephrite asked, never one to hold his tongue back.

An almost serene smile appeared on Zoisite's face. "Kunzite wouldn't be coming in today."

"Why?" Jadeite asked.

"Because," Zoisite answered, leaning back in the chair he was sitting in, "Kunzite is in the hospital right now."

"Why?" Nephrite pressed on, annoyance burning a hole into his non-existent patience.

"He had diarrhea since last night," Zoisite intoned lightly.

Silence filled the room for a second, and for some reason, Nephrite couldn't believe that Kunzite's dilemma was by accident. His eyes locked with Zoisite's for a second, memories from yesterday replaying themselves in his mind. Suddenly, a ridiculous thought formed in his head.

"Do you have something to do with this?" Nephrite asked, unable to resist his curiosity's demands to be quenched.

"Now, now, Nephrite, why would I do something like that to Kunzite?" Zoisite asked far too sweetly.

"Because you aren't one to hold back on using dirty methods against ex-lovers," Nephrite snapped.

Zoisite made a face. "How would you know? It isn't as if I would ever fall in love with a brute like you. Besides, it's not like I have any reasons to pull pranks on Kunzite."

"Because you like—"

Before Nephrite could finish his sentence, the door slammed open and the Senshi entered the practice room.

Usagi blinked when she saw them, apparently surprised that Kunzite was nowhere to be seen. "No practice today?"

"Kunzite's in the hospital," Nephrite answered, shooting Zoisite another suspicious glance.

"What?" the girls exclaimed.

Jadeite nodded. "Zoisite just received a phone call from—"

He never finished his sentence, since Usagi's voice filled the room as she spoke into her cell phone.

"Mamo-chan! Kunzite's in this hospital! … Oh, you already knew? … What happened to him? … Oh … er … Is he okay? … Okay … Okay … I'll talk to you later. I love you."

"What happened?" Makoto asked once Usagi hung up the phone.

"I don't know all the details, but Kunzite-san seems to be fine now. The doctors are suspecting that he accidentally put too much la—" Usagi paused, a confused frown on her face. "Lax tips?"

"Laxatives," Ami corrected for her.

A sheepish smile appeared on Usagi's face. "Yeah, that thing. What does it do anyway, Ami-chan?"

"It makes you go to the toilet," Ami answered.

"Kunzite-san uses laxatives?" Rei asked curiously.

"I told him that being too uptight will cause him problems one day," Minako said with a firm nod.

"Guys, this isn't the right time for that," Ami chided, glancing at the company they were in.

They fell silent and stared at the three currently-healthy Shitennou.

"So … er … no practice today," Usagi said, scratching the back of her head with one hand.

"Well," Zoisite said slowly, a smile on his face and gazing at Ami in particular, "we wouldn't mind filling in for Kunzite today if you want."

Makoto's eyes brightened, obviously interested, and for once, Nephrite had to admit, not all of Zoisite's plans were crap.

~-0-~

**A/N**: Many thanks to those who've read, faved, and added to alert. Special thanks to LoveInTheBattlefield for reviewing!


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